“Being able to recognize what someone’s social intentions are being able to perceive if someone is a good friend or potentially harmful friend that’s all being part of reading someone’s intention and have self-assurance and step up and speak for themselves,” explains Allen “They really learn how to interact in their everyday life through the virtual reality.”

The virtual game is the only one in the nation that has the type of facial recognition software.

“We track all your brow movements, your mouth movements and all of your head movements,” says Carl Lutz Creative Director for Center for Brain Health “You can have a very realistic interaction with someone else where you can smile at them or frown or look angry. Forces you to pay attention to some of those sudden facial queues while you’re inside a video game.”

For the Center’s Chief Director Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman the program is a decade-long dream finally come true.

“We focus on how can we make your brain work better,” says Dr. Bond Chapman “Some of the scenarios that we set up are what do you do when someone makes light of you or puts you down – how can you stand up for that.”

She goes on to say that in the virtual world the center can help people learn to deal with social issues.

“When they practice a safe way and nothing really bad happens and it’s actually positive so much changes for them in terms of interaction,” explains Dr. Bond Chapman.

For students like Evan it’s working.

He says taking a stand in a virtual world makes it much easier for him to do it in the real one.